Book-shelf



W. A. BURDEN.

BOOK SHELF.

APPLICATION FILED mmrzs. I917.

Patented May 18 2 $HEETSSHEET I.

VEIVTOR mlnn.

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W. A. BORDEN.

BOOK SHELF.

APPLICATION men MAY 26, 1917.

Rum A W 4:5 4 M a m m w M m H W A 2 4 F MM 9 3 4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM ALANSON BORDEN, F WESTPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE BORDEN BOOK STACK COMPANY, 'OF WESTPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CON- 1 NEOTICUT.

BOOK-SHELF.

Application filed May 26, 1917. Serial No. 171,080.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. BORDEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of WVestport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Book- I Shelves, of which improvement the following is a specification.

This invention relates to book shelves for use in stacks, and particularly to the type known as bracket shelves in which the end 7 pieces or brackets are provided with hooks or projections for engagmg 1n holes formed I Anotherfeature of my improvement comprises means for preventing interference between the hooks of two shelves placed back to back in case the hooks of both should engage in the sameset of holes or notchesin the uprights. Another object is to provide means for closing the free vertical space between the back edges of the shelves. And still another object is to provide means for dividing a shelf to form sections or pigeon holes for papers and the like. These and other objects will now be more fully described in detail and the novel features will be set forth in the claims In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a horizontal section of a book stack showing in plan a pair of book shelves embodying my improvement. Fig. 2, a transverse section of the same taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a detail view in perspective showing the end of a shelf and its connection with the bracket; Fig. 4, an inverted plan of the end of a shelf and bracket; Fig. 5, a transverse section of the same taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 a central longitudinal section of a portion of'a shelf with a book stop in elevation; Fig. 7 a plan of a book shelf showing removable sections for dividing same; Fig. 8, a perspective view showing a modification of a sectional shelf; Fig. 9, an edge view of one of the intermediate partitions; Fig. 10, a perspective view of the end portion of a shelf and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1920.

bracket showing a modification; Fig. 11, a transverse section of the same; Fig. 12, a detail view showing a clip for preventing the hook from accidentally slipping out of the notch in the upright; and Fig. 13, a perspective View of one form of clip.v

Accordingto the construction shown in the drawings the shelf is made of thin pressed or drawn metal, such as steel, and the bottom 1, of the shelf is formed at the middle or other intermediate portion with the depressed channel 2, having a continuous closed bottom and with its side walls at the endsbent outward in flaps 3 facing against the downturned flange 4 of the shelf bottom and riveted thereto and to the bracket 5, as shown particularly in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, thus forming a very secure and rigid joint and.

one that can be readily fashioned without waste of material. The front and rear edges of the shelf may be turned downward and inward to form stiffening ribs and flanges and the flaps at the ends maybe turned in.

the space between the backs of the'shelves,

as indicated in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5, the flange 7 being cut away at its ends to clear the sections of the uprights. By means of this constru'ction the shelf is greatly strengthened at'its rear edge and the space which has here-' tofore been open between the backs of the shelves is thus closed to prevent articles falling down through this free vertical space from the top of the book stack to the bottom and also. preventing a free draft up through the same in case of fire;

This flange 7 is preferably formed integral with the bottom of the shelf but may be formed as an angle flange riveted thereto as indicated at.7 in Figs. 10 and 11.

According to another feature the side brackets 5, which are provided with the hooks 8, are also preferably formed with flanges at their top edges, the flange 9, at one side (left) being wider than the flange 10, at the other side (right), whereby in case the hooks 8, of the two shelves placed back to back in the stack should enter the same notches 11 of the upright they will not interfere as the shelves will be offset laterally site directions as indicated in Fig, 9.

For the purpose of dividing up a shelf to form pockets or pigeon holes, I provide a removable back section 16 of thin sheet metal, having side extensions 17, at the ends and adapted to fit in between the brackets on the shelf, as shown in Fig. 7 and the shelf may then be divided into any desired num ber of pockets by inserting a suitable number of partitions 18 having projecting tongues ll, fitting within the channel 2, in the same manner as those of the book stops.

A light shelf structure may also be made by securing a shelf bottom 1 directly to the end portions 17, of the back section 16, and providing hooks 18, thereon for engaging the notches in the uprights thereby eliminating the side brackets 5, as shown in Fig. I

8. The partitionslif may then be inserted, thus forming a light shelf construction for use with papers and the like, which may be readily carried or moved from one position to another in the stack.

In order to prevent accidental displacement of the bracket hooks 8, from the notches in the uprights, in case a shelf should be pushed up from below, I have provided a spring clip (see Fig. 13), having two blades 21, adapted to be sprung apart and pushed down on opposite sides of the bracket 5, and having an extension 20, adapted to project into the space above the hook 8, and between it and the top of the notch, as shown in Fig. 12. This prevents an accidental displacement of the hook. \Vhen it is desired to remove the shelf the clip is simply slid along the bracket or'taken off entirely, thus allowing the hook to be released from the notch.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A book shelf comprising a thin metal bottom having a depressed channel formed therein and extending the full length thereof, the sides of the channel being. turned outward at its ends to form flaps, and two end brackets provided with supporting hooks and riveted at their lower edges to said flaps, whereby the brackets are rigidly held in upright position.

2. The combination with uprights having notches, of book shelves each having brackets at its opposite ends provided with supporting hooks, said brackets having laterally extending flanges for engaging the uprights, the flange of one bracket being wider than that. of the other, whereby the brackets of the shelves arranged back to backare spaced out of alinement with each other.

3. The combination with uprights, of a book shelf supported thereon and comprising two side brackets having hooks at the top and a thin metal bottom rigidly secured to the bottom of said brackets at its ends, said bottom having a stiffening flange near its rear edge extending from one bracket to the other, and resting against said uprights, and a rearwardly extending flange between the uprights for closing the free vertical space at the back of the shelves l, The combination with uprights having notches, of a book shelf having brackets at its opposite ends provided with hooks engaging said notches, and removable clips adapted to extend into the notched openings above said hooks for preventing accidental displacement.

5. The combination with uprights having notches, of a book shelf having brackets at its opposite ends provided with hooks engaging said notches, and a removable clip comprising spring blades adapted to be clamped upon opposite sides of a bracket, and a projection extending over the top of the hook. V

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM ALANSON BORDEN. 

